JaMarcus Russell says he is set on making a comeback to the NFL. / Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

by Simon Samano, USA TODAY Sports

by Simon Samano, USA TODAY Sports

Hundreds of jokes have been told about JaMarcus Russell. This is not one of them: He's planning a comeback to the NFL.

Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday night that the 2007 No. 1 overall pick, one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, is down from the 320 pounds he weighed last fall and is working out hard -- all in hopes that he could land an NFL gig.

"My first year out, I couldn't watch football, but after a while I couldn't keep the TV off. I got that itchy feeling, but now I gotta watch it, gotta watch," Russell said. "The last few years, the things going through my life, football is my job, and it is how I feed my family. People would say I didn't love the game, but that pisses me off. People don't know the real you, but I want people to know the real me and see what I can do.

"People are always saying that I'm a bust. I want show them I'm not. I'm committed to this now."

Apparently, Russell means it this time. A robust team of trainers and advisers that includes Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia and former NFL wide receiver Mike Clayton will work as part of a team set on getting Russell a second chance at the NFL.

Russell has one thing -- and only one thing -- going for him: his age. He's 27.

His three years in the NFL come with severely underwhelming stats, and a lot of pictures of Russell on the bench.